When Bremerton native and Central Kitsap High School graduate Kristen Fabry started out as a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy in 1987, she didn't predict her journey would lead to rear admiral.

"It seemed so far away," she said. "I focused on each day at a time, getting through the difficult training at academy, and then working hard at each job and making an impact by leading sailors, mentoring junior officers and improving processes."

In March, Fabry was nominated for the promotion after serving in the Navy for more than 25 years. The Senate voted to confirm her selection last month.

Fabry is the Director of Fleet Resources Integration at U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. She will become the Director of Logistics, Fleet Supply and Ordnance for the U.S. Pacific Fleet Command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

She was humbled to be chosen for the promotion.

"I was very honored particularly because there are so many talented and well-qualified officers I've served beside my entire career," Fabry said.

Fabry is looking forward to moving on to her new post, where she hopes to "lead and continue to build and carry on with a very high performing team out there."

Kristen Fabry, left, judges dishes during an baking competition in the bake shop aboard the USS John C. Stennis in 2011. At the time, John C. Stennis was deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and support missions as part of Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.(Photo: Contributed / U.S. Navy)

Although her career in the Navy has taken her across the far reaches of the globe, Fabry has strong ties to Kitsap County.

She was born at Naval Hospital Bremerton and graduated from Central Kitsap High School in 1987. Fabry's parents, retired Navy Supply Corps officer Capt. Steven Fabry and Bremerton native Betty Lindstrum Fabry, made Bremerton their home after Steven Fabry retired from the Navy in 1995.

Fabry grew up in seven different states and countries, including the Philippines and Guam, as her family moved from duty station to duty station before landing back in her hometown for high school.

She graduated from the academy and received her commission in 1991.

For the midshipmen just starting out at the academy, Fabry said they have a satisfying career ahead of them.

"Lean forward. Take the challenging jobs. Try to improve the process. Look for a better way to do things, look to inspire those junior sailors and junior officers you’re working with," she said. "Look forward to being a part of something that’s greater than yourselves. It's an opportunity to work with some amazing, talented and patriotic folks."

Serving as the commanding officer of the Navy Supply Corps School in Newport, Rhode Island, was one of the highlights of her career, Fabry said.

"It was an amazing experience to lead the team there," she said. "I was able to bring in the next generation of supply corps officers, shaped and guide them, give them skill sets to prepare them for a career. It was very inspirational to see the young people joining the Navy."

Fabry said that she also enjoyed her time at sea.

She served as the supply officer aboard the USS John C. Stennis from 2010 to 2012, during which time the aircraft carrier deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom.

While underway on the Stennis, Fabry said it was no small job to be in charge of running a floating city at sea, with tasks ranging from ordering nuclear reactor parts to making sure the ship's store, laundry and barber shop operated with everything they needed.

She also served aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln when the carrier deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch. She was on the USS Decatur as a part of the vessel's pre-commissioning crew and the USS San Diego, which deployed three times to the Mediterranean and for support operations in Haiti.

(NEWPORT, R.I.) Capt. Kristen Fabry, commanding officer, Navy Supply Corps School (pictured center) along with staff and students celebrate the 220th birthday of the Navy Supply Corps in March 2015. The supply corps provides the Navy with items essential to the operations of ships, aircraft, facilities and services of military personnel and their families.(Photo: U.S. Navy photo)

Many of her shore assignments brought her family back to the Pacific Northwest, such as when she served as the Director of the Naval Sea Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound and as the officer-in-charge for NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound's Everett detachment.

Fabry and her husband, Tim Vanas, who served as a Navy officer for eight years, have been married for 15 years and have three children.

"I certainly couldn't do it without my husband," she said. "He's the key to success in balancing both of our careers. I call him the 'anchor parent.' He keeps us anchored, even when I'm away at sea."

As the daughter of a parent who served in the Navy while she was growing up, Fabry knows the experience of having a parent away at sea, and she prioritizes being present for her children when she can.

"The most important thing in our lives is raising our kids. I look forward to coming home and being a part of their day," she said. "I know I can't be there for everything. But the time I can be there, I make it count."

Once she retires from the Navy, Fabry said her family is looking forward to coming back to the Northwest.